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PAK Vs ZIM T20I Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today’s 1st T20I Match Between Pakistan And Zimbabwe?

Akshita Patel

Pakistan and Zimbabwe to clash in 1st T20I today [Source: @Sports_Himanshu/X.com]Pakistan and Zimbabwe to clash in 1st T20I today [Source: @Sports_Himanshu/X.com]

Pakistan will lock horns with Zimbabwe in the opening T20I match of the 3-game T20 series on Sunday, December 1, 2024. The highly anticipated clash will go on floors from 4.30 PM IST at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. 

Pakistan

Pakistan previously won the 3-game ODI series on the same tour. After an upsetting loss in the 1st ODI, Saim Ayub and Kamran Ghulam’s dominance propelled Pakistan to a 2-1 series victory. However, for the T20I series, the men in green will field a much younger and inexperienced team. Agha Salman has been tasked to lead the side with the likes of Rizwan, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi rested for the entirety of the series.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, had their moments of brilliance in the ODI series but failed to capitalise into match winning scores. Meanwhile, putting the disappointment aside, Zimbabwe will enter the T20I series with all-rounder Sikandar Raza leading. A couple of debutants are expected to bring balance to the lineup. Zimbabwe has always been a strong T20I side and hence, Raza and co are likely to fight tooth and nail against Pakistan in Bulawayo.

PAK vs ZIM Head-to-Head T20I Records

Matches
Pakistan Won
Zimbabwe Won
18162

How Will The Bulawayo Pitch Behave?

The pitch at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will be conducive for batting, especially in the first half. As the ball gets old, it will grip more due to the dry surface. Spinners will play a crucial role in restricting the flow of runs in middle overs. As for the weather, no interruptions are likely. However, batting will get tougher under the lights in the second half. Hence, it is advisable for the toss-winning captain to bat first on this pitch.

Players To Watch Out For In PAK vs ZIM 1st T20I

Pakistan

Saim Ayub

Pakistan's opening batter, Saim Ayub, slammed a ton in the ODI series and is also coming off a successful tour in Australia. In 23 T20Is, he scored 309 runs with a 122.13 average. Besides being an explosive batter at the top, Ayub can also bowl spin, giving him an edge as an all-rounder.

Usman Khan

Usman Khan is the senior most batter in the Pakistan squad. In the last 8 games, he slammed 117 runs. He hasn’t played against Zimbabwe in any format but his recent form and past track record in the shorter format suggests that Usman will be an impactful player in the first T20I.

Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf has been in some remarkable form since their comeback to Pakistan's national side. Against Australia, he picked 15 wickets in the ODI and T20I series combined, including a fifer. In 75 T20Is, Rauf’s wicket tally stands at 107 wickets with 8.17 economy. 

Abrar Ahmed

Abrar Ahmed picked 6 wickets in the ODI series and is well versed with the Zimbabwe conditions. He made his debut in the same conditions years back and since then, he has only matured as mystery spinner. Hence, Abrar will be in focus in the upcoming T20I series.

Zimbabwe

Sikandar Raza

The skipper Sikandar Raza is the glue that holds Zimbabwe cricket together. In his decade-long playing career, Raza hit 2236 runs in 96 T20Is with a 138.28 strike rate. With the ball, the all-rounder has picked 76 wickets in the same period with a 6.96 economy.

Blessing Muzarabani

Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani is another seasoned player who plays T20Is regularly for Zimbabwe. In 60 matches, he has 71 wickets to his name with 7.01 economy. Against Pakistan, Blessing has picked 9 wickets in as many innings.

Dion Myers

Dion Myer is the next kid on the block, waiting to shine for Zimbabwe. In 18 T20Is so far, the 22-year-old scored 408 runs with a 136.00 strike rate. He achieved most success at no.4, and Myer will guide the middle-order in the first T20I against Pakistan.

Brian Bennett

All-rounder Brian Bennett’s stats in the T20Is are also impressive. In 21 games, he scored 483 runs with an impressive strike rate of 155.30. He also picked 6 wickets in 9 innings that he got to bowl in. Hence, Bennett, with significant experience under his belt, will play a key role in this T20I series.

Today's Match Prediction: PAK vs ZIM 1st T20I

Predicted Top Performers

Pakistan: Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Dion Myers, Blessing Muzarabani

PAK vs ZIM 1st T20I: Predicted Score

Predicted first innings score: 150-170

Predicted second innings score: 130-140

Predicted Result: The team batting first will likely have an edge in this match.